1957_United_States_Air_Force_incursion_into_Albanian_airspace
1957 United States Air Force incursion into Albanian airspace
Cold War incident
The 1957 United States Air Force incursion into Albanian airspace (Albanian: Incidentet e para ajrore), was a Cold War incident.[1][4][3]
On December 23, 1957, an American T-33 fighter jet violated Albanian airspace.[5] Two MiG-15 aircraft took off from Kuçova Air Base, piloted by Anastas Ngjela and Mahmut Hysa.[6][7]
The American fighter jet was surrounded and forced to land on the unfinished runway at Rinas Airport.[8][9] The plane was impounded and the American pilot Major Howard J. Curran was arrested.[10] Curran was released on January 11, 1958, while the plane was placed in the Gjirokastra castle museum.